Jurlique

Jurlique

It’s been a bumpy ride with Jurlique. No pun intended. Well, maybe a bit intended.

I stumbled across this luxurious natural skincare line at Whole Foods about a year ago. I thought the packaging was pretty so I bought a bottle of their lavender hydrating mist. After using it during the sweltering summer months, I found that my skin really liked it. So I went back to Whole Foods to find out more about this stuff.

Initially I went with the travel size starter kit. It’s a great price for what you get. The kit is $50 for about a 2-4 week supply. They have 4 different formulas that the starter kit comes in: Oily, Dry, Sensitive, and Normal. They were sold out of most of the kits so I was left with the one for Normal skin. I figured, it’s all-natural, how can I go wrong? Well something I’ve been discovering lately, just because the product is natural, doesn’t mean your skin can’t get irritated.
The products in the “normal skin” kit all irritated my skin. My face was red, dry, and I broke out in little whiteheads all around my chin and forehead. But I had seen Jurlique written up in a bunch of magazines so I didn’t want to give up. I went back to Whole Foods and bought the starter kit for dry skin. I figured the dry skin kit would help soothe the redness, and it did.

These are the products that come in the kit:
Cleanser
Exfoliater
Hydrating serum/mist
Day cream
Night cream or and eye cream depending on the kit

My skin began to heal and all seemed better for about a month. The one thing I didn’t like in the kit was the exfoliater. The consistency felt like a fruit spread that would be better on toast than on my face. When I rinsed my face it felt as if no dead skin cells had been exfoliated. I still had dry flakes of skin on my forehead after using it.

But I really liked the other products. They seemed to be working, so I went back to Whole Foods to see if Jurlique had an alternate exfoliater that felt more like what I was used to. I’m accustomed to the exfoliaters with tiny granules that as you spread them across your skin you can feel a slight scratch, and you know its removing the dead skin cells.

I finally found a different exfoliater in their age-defying line. It was exactly what I was looking for. I used it during my “before bed” skin regimen and everything felt fine. My skin was smooth and clean. About a week later, I used the exfoliater again and 2 hours later I broke out in hives all around my chin, mouth, forehead and jaw line.

I’m stumped about what caused the sudden breakout. I don’t know if the fragrance was too much, or perhaps it took a few weeks for my skin to figure out what was being applied to it and then it decided to reject it. It’s been a month since the breakout and I still can’t figure it out. I’m disappointed because Jurlique is one of the top natural skincare lines on the market right now.

Luckily, my mom was searching for a new skincare line and I had recommended Jurlique to her. I gave her everything I had and here’s what she has to say about it.

Andrea’s thoughts on Jurlique

"After experimenting with a number of paraben-free skin care lines, my daughter Anita turned me on to Jurlique. I have been using these products for the past four months. As an older woman, I was interested in the “Purely Age-Defying” products in the line and began with them first. These include the Refining Treatment (exfoliator), the Facial Serum, Eye Cream, and the Night Lotion. The Refining treatment is a very gentle exfoliation of the skin that leaves my skin soft without irritation. It works as a once a week facial and does the job. The Facial Serum provides a layer of protection that actually allows the Night Lotion to get absorbed. These two products create a rich combination and really moisturize my skin at night. I’ve noticed that my skin has begun to take on a much more youthful glow since I’ve begun using these products. I particularly like the Eye Cream. A small pearl of the cream goes a long way. It is easy to use; the tube allows you to use a tiny bit without contaminating the rest of the product. It goes on smoothly and soothes as well as moisturizes the delicate under eye area. It is not too rich for daytime use either.
The Jurlique line has several cleansers. I’ve tried two of the three: Replenishing Foaming Cleanser for dry skin and Soothing Foaming Cleanser for sensitive skin. While the Replenishing Cleanser certainly is gentle and helps get rid of the tell tale signs of make up at the end of the day, I actually prefer the Soothing Cleanser in terms of how my skin feels after using it. It doesn’t leave a film and I feel as if my skin is more ready to absorb the Serum and then moisturizer.
There are at least two moisturizers for daytime. The Moisture Replenishing Day Cream is extremely rich. It feels terrific but takes a bit of time to absorb into the skin. I need to wait about a half an hour before applying make up. There is the Soothing Day Care Lotion that is a much lighter moisturizer and may be more appropriate as a preparation for foundation and powder".









Jurlique

After experimenting with a number of paraben-free skin care lines, my daughter Anita turned me on to Jurlique. I have been using these products for the past four months. As an older woman, I was interested in the “Purely Age-Defying” products in the line and began with them first. These include the Refining Treatment (exfoliator), the Facial Serum, Eye Cream, and the Night Lotion. The Refining treatment is a very gentle exfoliation of the skin that leaves my skin soft without irritation. It works as a once a week facial and does the job. The Facial Serum provides a layer of protection that actually allows the Night Lotion to get absorbed. These two products create a rich combination and really moisturize my skin at night. I’ve noticed that my skin has begun to take on a much more youthful glow since I’ve begun using these products. I particularly like the Eye Cream. A small pearl of the cream goes a long way. It is easy to use; the tube allows you to use a tiny bit without contaminating the rest of the product. It goes on smoothly and soothes as well as moisturizes the delicate under eye area. It is not too rich for daytime use either.
The Jurlique line has several cleansers. I’ve tried two of the three: Replenishing Foaming Cleanser for dry skin and Soothing Foaming Cleanser for sensitive skin. While the Replenishing Cleanser certainly is gentle and helps get rid of the tell tale signs of make up at the end of the day, I actually prefer the Soothing Cleanser in terms of how my skin feels after using it. It doesn’t leave a film and I feel as if my skin is more ready to absorb the Serum and then moisturizer.
There are at least two moisturizers for daytime. The Moisture Replenishing Day Cream is extremely rich. It feels terrific but takes a bit of time to absorb into the skin. I need to wait about a half an hour before applying make up. There is the Soothing Day Care Lotion that is a much lighter moisturizer and may be more appropriate as a preparation for foundation and powder.

Clean Well Hand Sanitizer

As a makeup artist I have to make sure my hands are sanitized every time I start a makeup application. Like most people I was carrying Purell hand sanitizer with me until about a month ago. I received a sample package from Rachael Diamond at Behrman Communications containing a few bottles of the Clean Well Hand Sanitizer. I have to say, it was so generous of her and also such a relief.

I was starting to get frustrated with how dry my hands would get from the Purell after every work day. It felt like I was cleaning my hands with straight rubbing alcohol, and it didn't matter how much moisturizer I used, my hands were still dry.

Since I continuously have to sanitize, I packed the Clean Well in my kit the first day I received it. Funnily enough, a few days after I started using it, I went to my acupuncturist and she was using the Clean Well as her hand sanitizer. Then I saw it at Whole Foods the following day. I don't know if it was a sign or not but I felt like I was being introduced to a great secret that hopefully will not be a secret for long.

What I can say about this product is that it's wonderful. It's alcohol free yet it still kills 99.99% of germs naturally (as stated on their bottle). The ingredients are natural essential plant oils so it keeps my hands moisturized while it keeps them sanitized. I couldn't ask for a better solution for hand sanitation. Not just as an artist but for everyday use. The bottle is a spray bottle so you get better bank for your buck compared to a gel, since much less product comes out with each use.

I truly appreciate the "free goods" but I will for sure continue to buy this product!

www.cleanwelltoday.com

Thoughts on Green Makeup

Over the past few weeks I've done a couple of fashion/beauty photoshoots with professional photographer friends of mine. I asked them (River Clark www.riverclark.com and Shiran Nicholson www.shirannicholson.com) to help me because I wanted to experiment with all of the green makeup I've been blogging about in a more work-related way. In other words, I wanted to see how this green makeup "stuff" would measure up with hi-end digital photography & lighting.

For the most part, the end result is beautiful. The makeup holds up pretty well and photographs nicely. At the same time, as a professional and more to the point a perfectionist and my own worst critic, I noticed slight differences in how the makeup was photographing.

The textures aren't quite as smooth, meaning I see the makeup more. It sits on the surface of the skin even after it's been blended well. I'm sure it has something to do with the ingredients. I found myself manipulating the products a lot more through the application. I kept adding more moisturizer to help me blend the foundation further into the skin. I was alternating between either the Rose Day Cream from Dr. Hauschka or the Rare Minerals moisturizer from Bare Minerals. I found myself working a bit harder to even apply the powder just for setting the makeup so that we wouldn't see any chalky white powder bits in the photo.

In general with hi-def cameras both for still and moving pictures, makeup artists have had to change the way they look at makeup in those situations. These cameras pick up every strand of hair that's out of place so there is no room for overlooking the small details.

There are no unnecessary oils or preservatives in green makeup, which is great, but I'm starting to think that our bodies or skin rather, absorb those chemicals more quickly than we absorb cosmetics that don't contain them. And for photography purposes, plus what we need for time efficiency, we almost require the fast absorption for a more flawless end result.

So not only is green makeup healthier in general because of the ingredients but the fact that our skin doesn't drink it up as quickly is a new discovery. Ultimately I think that is great for everyday makeup and skin care users but I'm still on the fence about it for fashion photography. I have to admit that when I was using the green makeup I was tempted to grab my Chanel and MAC stuff to make it easier. I didn't, and I'm glad I didn't but in makeup artist terms I was just plain frustrated.

Smashbox Halo Powder

I was introduced to the Smashbox Halo Powder about a month ago from one of my coworkers. As far as I know it's the only powder from Smashbox at the moment that's Paraben and Talc free. It is beautiful. You can use it on it's own as a foundation powder or you can use it on top of your liquid foundation to create a beautiful satin finish. It has a bit of a glow and makes your skin look flawless. I love it!!!!

check it out at Sephora...:)

La Bella Donna (Mineral Makeup) the real deal.....

I’ve already mentioned La Bella Donna mineral makeup on a few occasions with my blog, but I wanted to devote a bit more attention to it. To me, it’s one of the best mineral makeup lines out there. Not only do I have an attachment to it because it was my first real introduction into the mineral/green/natural makeup world, but because I’ve used it for a long time and I’ve seen how it photographs and wears on an everyday level. In both cases, it’s absolutely gorgeous.

The loose foundation powder is wonderful. It has a bit of a shine/shimmer that gives the skin a healthy glow. A little bit of it goes a long way, so you can start with a thin wash of it with a large brush as a natural clean base or you can build on it to make it full coverage. You can also use a small flat brush and use it as a concealer for blemishes and even under the eyes.

If the loose foundation powder is a bit too shiny for you, they also make a pressed powder that has a matte satin finish. It’s mostly matte but there is a slight sheen that isn’t really shiny, it just reduces the chance for typical results of most matte powders which can be chalky and cakey at times. Personally I use both the loose and the pressed. I like to dust a thin wash of the loose powder all over my face for a nice base and then set with the pressed. I find that setting with the pressed eliminates the need for touching up throughout the day.

The eye shadows and powder blushes are really pretty. The color choices aren’t immense but there is definitely enough variety to have a natural/neutral look, a smoky look and a look with a bit of color. They blend so well together and into the skin that it physically requires no work. I mean you place the brush where it needs to go, blend and the color/shadow is perfectly placed on the eye or cheek.

The mascara is great. It has a nice amount of thickening and lengthening and doesn’t dry hard. The only thing is it’s not waterproof so using it for brides has gone out the window for me, but I use it on myself and it gives me just enough “wow” to feel pretty and natural but not too made up.

The same is true with the eyeliner pencils. They are soft and rich and blend very well for a soft smoky look, or you can create a thick bold line that’s full and dark if that’s your thing too. The only problem again is that they are not water resistant so using them for brides and/ or on a very hot day, can get a bit messy just because they tend to melt a bit more easily.

The lipstick and lipgloss is really nice. Most of them are pretty sheer but buildable. So potentially you can use them like a stain just for a bit of color, or you can build the color to a fully rich tone that looks and feels like a lipstick you’d buy from Chanel or Bobbi Brown. Again, like the eyeshadows, the color selection isn’t vast but its enough to give you choices for a variety of looks and I guarantee you will find at least 2 or 3 colors that jump out at you right away.

The most fascinating thing to me about La Bella Donna as a company, is that they provide information about their products that is not only factual about minerals and their benefits but also how simple it is. The explanations of the ingredients are easy to understand and actually fun to read.

La Bella Donna is an approachable line. Even though they are located at Bergdorf Goodeman which is a rather intimidating and fancy department store, you can still feel good about yourself because everyone that comes to shop there is treated equally. The people who work for the company (including myself a few years ago) truly stand behind this product and are excited to impart their knowledge of it to everyone. You can also purchase it online at the website www.labelladonna.com. There is a lot more info about all the ingredients on the website…..take a look and enjoy!!! ☺

Bare Minerals

So this week I contacted my friend Kerrie Urban (www.kerrieurban.com)... She is a hair and makeup artist based in NYC with Artists by Timothy Priano. I contacted her to help me with my blog because I knew she used Bare Minerals cosmetics on a regular basis.

To be perfectly honest, I was never really a fan of Bare Minerals....I found it drying on my own skin which is already dry and sensitive, and that it didn't photograph very well on photoshoots. I found that the faces were reflecting a lot of light and almost looked metallic. Then I saw that one of the ingredients in one form of their loose foundation powders was Aluminum. I was surprised by that because La Bella Donna, another mineral makeup line that I LOVE, does photograph well, is not too shiny and does not contain Aluminum. The aluminum made me nervous and a bit ticked off that they were calling themselves a mineral line which they very well may be (obviously) but that they were still using relatively harmful ingredients.

Having said that, when I saw that ingredient, it was at a photoshoot with kerrie 2 years ago. Since then I've shopped at Sephora many times, furiously reading the ingredient list on the Bare Minerals packaging and never once saw Aluminum again on the list.

So I made the decision to start trying Bare Minerals. So far I've tried the Foundation Powder, Mineral Veil, Moisturizer and Eye Cream. They are all really nice, good quality products.
One thing I'll say about the foundation powder and mineral veil is that for photography purposes you have to be careful because of the light. In my pictures of Kerrie I used natural light which seemed to not have too reflective of a result so it was fine...but for studio light i'm wary because it almost casts a film that looks greasy.

But for everyday use here's what kerrie said, " I like using bare minerals for my everyday foundation because it's not too heavy. It doesn't clog my pores and it doesn't dry me out. I have oily skin so the nice thing is that the powder absorbs some of the oil but not so much that I look made up. What I do wish they'd do is create a travel compact of the foundation powder because it just get's so messy in my bag carrying around the loose. It would be nice to have a compact with a mirror and a little application brush, that way I can touch up at work and not worry about getting powder everywhere on set." Kerrie Urban 2010 (www.kerrieurban.com)

I'm looking forward to trying more of the bare minerals line and getting back with more info....stay tuned for more on Bare Minerals soon.....

Vitamin E

just a quick note/tip.....

Most lip gloss's and lip balms in the general market (meaning not green companies that I've either written about or am still investigating) contain petroleum jelly which is very unhealthy. It's unhealthy primarily because it's carcenogenic but also it traps in heat on the skin. It's a common misconception that Vaseline is soothing for burns or chapped lips but because when applied to the skin it traps in heat, actually worsening the burn vs. healing it. Petroleum jelly has also been known to cause a type of pneumonia called Lipid Pneumonia....

(FROM RESEARCH
Improper uses
As the substance became more common in households, it began to be used for a number of medical purposes, some of which medical science has shown to be dangerous or damaging.
Fresh Burns
It should not be used on fresh burns of any kind, including sunburn. Petrolatum traps heat inside, worsening burns. After heat has dissipated, however, it can serve as a dressing for minor burns to soothe later pain.[6]
Nasal congestion or dryness
If particles of petrolatum are inhaled from the nose, they may deposit in the lungs and lead to a condition called lipid pneumonia.
Personal Lubricant
Because petroleum jelly is oil-based, it interferes with the structure of latex. Using petroleum jelly with latex condoms weakens the material very quickly, increasing the chance of rupture. Thus it is not recommended for use during sexual intercourse when using a latex condom.)




but a few quick alternatives:

take a vitamin E liquid caplet, poke a hole in it with a safety pin or needle, and squeeze the liquid directly on to your lip. It's a perfect lipgloss because it has the benefits of vitamin E directly for moisture and hydration and it has a great shine....

an alternative to vaseline for soothing burns is aloe. Buy yourself an aloe plant and when you need something soothing if you burn yourself cooking or whatever, break off a chunk from the leaf of the plant and use the liquid directly on your skin. You'll find that your burn will feel cooler as well as smooth.

another home remedy for a sunburn that i've used myself is Avocado. I remember once when I was in college, I laid out all day not having applied any SPF and by nightfall my legs were so burnt it was hard to walk. I was in so much pain and so desperate for relief that I took an avocado and smeared it all over my legs and they felt so much better. it makes sense that it worked because Avocados are a big source of vitamin E.